Same sex marriage has become legal in Australia. Foreign marriages are recognised down under immediately. The first ceremonies will commence on 9 January 2018.

Celebrations took place across the country, with the most prominent being in the House of Representatives with parliamentarians embracing one another in a unique display of non-partisan unity. The visitors’ gallery rejoiced by singing The Seekers’ iconic ‘I Am Australian’:

We are one, but we are many. And from all the lands on earth we come. We share a dream and sing with one voice: I am, you are, we are Australian.

The legislation followed a 62% vote in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage in a voluntary and non-binding postal survey conducted by the Federal government. The voter turnout was 80%.

Veteran journalist David Marr watched the final vote at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) TV program The Drum. Their video captured both his reaction and the scenes in parliament. It was retweeted and liked many thousands of times:

Well it’s been just over 12 hours since our marriage was made legal in this country. 27&1/2 years in the making, 8 married, and the world just goes on. #LoveIsLove Mind you, my husband didn’t like my expectations of being served breakfast in bed to celebrate. #marriageequality

There is so much darkness and fear in the world now but Australia legalising same sex marriage today should remind us that humanity can only survive when it learns to love one and other. #marriageequality

guys this is SUPER CUTE – registry offices in VIC and NSW have specially opened up this weekend for same-sex couples who want to register to get married, what bloody heroes #MarriageEqualityhttps://t.co/KXJeLgaJRA

Egypt's wide-scale systematic arrests of political dissidents have allowed for full government control over a country of more than 100 million citizens.

Orchestrated by Egyptian President Abdelfattah El Sisi, the imprisonment of opposition bloggers and political activists has become daily news, turning justice into a political arena pitting opponents against the regime.

The case of Egyptian tech-savvy and political activist Alaa Abdelfattah has recently stirred an outrage because Abdelfattah has been imprisoned since 2013 and yet he now faces new charges that could lead to more prison time.

In early November 2017, Egypt's Court of Cassation confirmed Abdelfattah's jail sentence ordering him to serve five years in prison for flouting Egypt's protest law in November 2013, Reuters reported. Abdelfattah will also be forced to pay a fine of EGP 100,000 ($5,667 USD).

Prosecutors said Abdelfattah was guilty of organizing the protest because he promoted it on social media even though he was not physically present. As Abelfattah's sentence nears completion with only 18 months left for penalties, the Egyptian popular activist still faces another prison term for allegedly insulting the judiciary.

The court's decision to uphold the verdict paired with the likelihood that the pro-democracy activist may face more years in prison have stirred discontent among activists and the broader international human rights community.

In September 2017, Amnesty International called on the Egyptian authorities to drop all charges against Abdelfattah and other defendants convicted of criticizing the government's judicial system.

Instead of punishing Alaa Abdel Fattah and the 23 other defendants for expressing their opinions, the authorities should drop the charges and immediately and unconditionally release them.

Bounaim further denounced the trials, saying:

his trial is an attempt to silence criticism of a judiciary that has itself become a source of human rights violations. ‘Insulting’ public institutions or officials is not a criminal offence under international law, and no one should stand trial – let alone face imprisonment – for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression

In essence, Amnesty International directed harsh criticism to the Egyptian judicial system and security forces, condemning human rights violations in Egypt.

Amnesty International’s research has identified serious due process shortcomings in Egypt’s judiciary. The criminal justice system has handed down mass death sentences and lengthy prison terms to thousands of human rights defenders, activists, lawyers and journalists following grossly unfair trials, while security forces responsible for grave human rights violations enjoy near total impunity. The organization has also found the Public Prosecutor’s office to be complicit in violations by turning a blind eye to enforced disappearance, torture and other ill-treatment.

A ‘detainee of all eras’

The prominence of Alaa Abdelfattah stems from his involvement in Egypt's political activism dating back to the national uprising of the January 25 revolution, an 18-day series of mass protests that took place in 2011 and ended with sweeping the 30-year-old regime of then-president Hosni Mubarak.

Known as the “Detainee of All Eras,” Abdelfattah has the unfortunate distinction of having been arrested under each of the four iterations of power in Egypt, beginning with Mubarak through Sisi's autocratic rule.

In 2006 Abdelfattah was captured for “participating in demonstrations calling for an independent judiciary.”

Under the interim rule of Egypt's Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF), Abdelfattah was detained in late 2011 on charges of weaponry stealth, enticing violence against armed forces, and attacking military personnel during the infamous Maspero incident.

When the former Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated President Mohammed Morsi was elected in 2012, Abdelfattah was arrested just a year later in March 2013 over convictions of blasphemy and insulting Morsi, according to Daily News Egypt.

After Morsi was overthrown in 2013, Abdelfattah opposed the relentless crackdown on dissidents and protested laws launched during the rule of President El Sisi, landing Abdelfattah in Mazraa Torah Prison to serve his sentence.

Although the number of occasions Abdelfattah was arrested remains obscure, his online presence and political activism made him a dangerous figure in the eyes of Egypt's authorities.

Social media backfires

Social media allowed government surveillance systems to plot against dissidents such as Abdelfattah. Yet, these same channels have also been used to demand his release. The international human rights community and social media activists have taken to social media platforms to reject the imprisonment of Abdelfattah, calling upon Egyptian authorities for his immediate release.

Today Alaa Turns 36 years old. Four years ago, ever since he had been jailed, time stopped for him. In reality, time stopped for him as he returned from South Africa six years ago to take part in the revolution with millions of fellow Egyptians. Since then, Alaa has been surviving between police stations, morgues, and prosecution offices. Alaa has always been, and will always be, an icon for an oppressed generation. Happy Birthday, and may God bring us together.

A screenshot of a video of protest against the Trans Adriatic Pipeline. Photo: Paolo Zuccotti/ 350.org, used with permission.

This article is based on content originally published on 350.org part of a partnership with Global Voices.

In southern Italy, local mothers, teachers, health workers, grandparents and olive farmers are leading a peaceful resistance to protect their land and their community from a planned gas mega-pipeline.

Since 13 November, hundreds of police imposed a ‘red zone’ around the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) construction site, prohibiting journalists, citizens and local government officials from accessing the area.

Nevertheless and despite facing a violent response by the police and individual fines of up to €10,000 the local communities of Melendugno are determined to continue their resistance to stop the construction of the TAP.

These are some of the people blocking the project:

Valentina is a local artisan who is no longer willing to stand aside as public money is spent for the private gain of multinational companies. She criticises the corruption and criminal interests surrounding the projects.

Anna Maria calls herself a NoTAP grandma, fighting for the good of the land. She is motivated to protect the environment since her nephew suffers from health problems that have been caused by environmental issues.

Simone Dima is the vice mayor of Melendugno. He sees TAP as an unnecessary project that destroys the climate and the local economy, which is based on tourism and agriculture.

Francesco opposes TAP because he wants the land protected. The pipeline and gas receiving terminal is due to be built through a protected area with ancient olive groves, aquifers, pristine forest and a stunning coastline.

Aurora is a young woman who takes action to resist an imposed and unwanted project that the state helps a multinational consortium to build without letting the people have their say and despite local opposition for the past six years, straight from the start of the project.

Sabina resists TAP, which she sees as a useless and dangerous project that threatens her livelihood in tourism in San Foca. She stresses that TAP is not just a local but a European problem that should not go ahead in Salento or anywhere else.

The locals receive increasing support as banks come under international pressure to reject the loans on which the project relies to go ahead. For example, more and more people are calling on the European Investment Bank to pledge against financing TAP to the tune of €1.5 billion.

The alleged perpetrator has been identified as Shambunath Raigar (38), whose speech filled with Hindu fanaticism in a number of YouTube videos. Screenshot from a video uploaded by Vir Bhoomi.

India's rising instances of attacks on minorities by Hindu supremacists hit an alarming crescendo in the first week of December, when a migrant Muslim worker was hacked and then burnt alive in Rajsamand, Rajasthan by a Hindu known to speak in fanatical terms online about his hatred against Muslims.

The victim, 50-year-old, Mohammed Afrajul, hailed from West Bengal, a state in eastern India and worked as a laborer from a very young age to support his family including three children, numerous news reports added.

Chief Minister of West Bengal State Mamata Banerjee tweeted:

We strongly condemn the heinous killing of a labourer from Bengal in Rajasthan. How can people be so inhuman. Sad

The gruesome incident was allegedly orchestrated by Shambhu Lal Raigar (38), a marble trader who believed in killing Afrajul to prevent an instance of ‘Love Jihad‘, a term used to describe Muslim boys and men who lure non-Muslim girls to convert to Islam by feigning love.

Though the term has been widely debunked, it is still commonly used by political leaders to leverage votes and divide the Hindu-Muslim community resulting in sectarian clashes.

Indian blogger Agnivo Niyogi tweeted:

Let us not forget, like Afrajul Khan, even Rizwanur was killed a decade ago for daring to love. “Honour killing” is ingrained in the north-Indian psyche. Even, Buddhadeb's police administration was complicit in the cover-up!

In gruesome online videos, Raigar's 14-year-old nephew records the entire incident on his behest while the perpetrator hacks Afrajul, pours kerosene on his body before walking off coolly. Global Voices suggests caution and trigger warnings before viewing these videos.

In the videos, Afrajul can be heard screaming for mercy as the man continues to stab him with an agricultural tool with no remorse. Afrajul had been taken to fields by the accused under the pretense of securing labor work.

Authorities said they received information about a semi-burnt body but were not able to identify the victim until the videos surfaced online and were widely viewed and shared. State police have compared the video to ones similar to the Islamic State, known for releasing grim execution videos.

The accused fanatic can be heard warning Muslims in India: “This is what will happen to you if you do ‘love jihad’ in our country.”

‘Love Jihad’ concept debunked and disputed

The recent case of Hadiya, a 24-year-old woman from the southern state of Kerala, has focused the spotlight on the alleged phenomenon of “Love Jihad,” a term constantly referred to in local media.

Hadiya's marriage and conversion to Islam reached India's Supreme court because her family said their daughter was forced to convert to Islam. Hadiya vehemently discredited these allegations and said she chose Islam voluntarily along with her marriage.

Meanwhile, Rajasthani police have refuted Raigar's claim about Afrajul committing ‘Love Jihad’ or any other illicit activities. In an article in The Indian Express, journalist Syed Hameed fears that this tragedy will quickly fade from public memory as the incendiary rhetoric has become legitimized.

Harsh Mander, a human rights activist who went on a fact-finding mission to Rajasmand expressed his shock:

Just returning from fact-finding of Afrazul's hate killing. Shaken to the soul.
So much hate felled a gentle man who dedicated his life to hard labour in distant lands to ensure a better life for his family.
Shambhu killed a complete stranger in a frenzy of hate fuelled by who?

I think every Hindu needs to raise his voice against communal division, suspicion and hate. Non-appeasement and even handed justice, which is a legitimate demand, is now clearly being twisted to cover exclusion, neglect and immoral silence. Let all Indians come together.

Mohammed Afrazul's brutal killing in Rajasthan should shame us all; if the sickening hate behind it does not disturb our conscience, nothing will. For a moment, let's forget our political differences, and think of humanity alone. Where are we headed?

India is bleeding. The time to remain silent is over. The brutal murder in Rajsamand, Rajasthan of Afrazul Islam a migrant worker from West Bengal has brought home searingly the vulnerability of minorities, especially Muslims to hate crimes being committed against them in the India of today. The murderer, Shambhu Lal Regar can be heard on the video that he got made of the killing justifying his crime in the name of so called ‘Love Jihad’, a bogey conjured up by proponents of hatred to demonize and target Muslim men in consensual love relationships with Hindu women.

Meanwhile, Facebook has been selectively blocking those condemning the attack. Qazi Zaid, an editor based out of Kashmir was blocked by Facebook for his post denouncing the murder.

Qazi Zaid, the editor of Free Press Kashmir has been blocked from posting on Facebook for vocalizing his protest against the lynching and persecution of the minority in India.

This is not new. Facebook has been blocking people who are protesting against the rampant lynching or any form of injustices. This trend of blocking and silencing of the critical voices show the legitimacy that these social media outlets are giving to the mob. The state institutions are already providing enough legitimacy to these actions. The fifth estate is also a part of the system as they are nothing but profit-making organizations.

More they block us, more vocal we will become.

Lynching Muslims in India is a truth. We are living in the times of terror and the state in India is sponsoring it. You can't block us and invisiblize the truth.

Numerous activists and groups have been protesting against Afrajul's violent murder and thousands attended his funeral. Various protests erupted across New Delhi, the nation's capital, with the hashtag #MuslimLivesMatter, a replica of #BlackLivesMatter from the United States.

Rising intolerance

Since the rise of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in India in 2014, there has been a spike in mob-justice cases, mostly targeting minority Muslims. Rajasthan has a track record of mob-justice cases.

In April this year, Pehlu Khan, a dairy farmer accused of smuggling cattle, was killed by a mob on the national highway in Rajasthan’s Alwar district. In November, the body of dairy farmer Ummar Khan was found on the railway tracks after legally purchasing and taking cows in a pick-up truck to his village.

Meanwhile, hundreds of Muslim migrant workers from Rajsamand have fled fearing for their lives, as reported by scroll.in. Political leaders remain silent on the growing peril of lynchings across India.

The name of this false group draws on long-standing tensions between Sunni and Shia Muslims in Iran. Shia Islam, and by extension the Islamic Republic of Iran, does not recognize the legitimacy of the Rashidun Caliphate of 634 B.C. Using the name “Soldiers of Farouq” also happens to be the nickname of Umar ibn Al-Khattab, the second Muslim caliph of Rashidun Caliphate.

Ahwazi Arab activists believe the regime fabricated the group to present the Ahwazi people as extremists associated with Saudi-led plots to disrupt Iran. These arrests signal Tehran's intention to undermine indigenous Ahwazi Arabs, leaning on their geopolitical narrative to protect Iran at all cost from Saudi encroachment. To this end, linking the Ahwazi to false opposition groups justifies the regime's crackdown on the group as a matter of ‘national security.’

Defendants were not allowed legal representation, and the verdict in the ‘Ahwaz Revolutionary Court’ was a foregone conclusion. The charges against all eight men were:

“Moharebeh [enmity to God] through the foundation of the Jund al-Farouq group, membership of opposition groups, and propaganda against the regime.”

Who are the arrested Ahwazi men?

Those sentenced to death are 36-year-old Abdullah Karamullah Ka’ab, married with three children, from the Shavur district, and 30-year-old Ghassem Abdullah from the village of Kaab Beit Allawi. The dates for the executions are unknown yet imminent. Their families are unaware of the legal process by which to appeal these sentences.

Abdullah was sentenced to death on charges of enmity to god through alleged membership in an Ahwazi opposition group. Image provided by the family for distribution.

Three defendants were each sentenced to 25 years imprisonment: 23-year-old Majed Beit Abdullah from Khalaf Moslem, 30-year-old Ahmed Kaab, a poet from Shush, and 31-year-old Hassan Beit Abdullah from Kaab Beit Allawi.

Three other men all from the Shavur district were sentenced to three years each: Hassan Karmalachaab and Majid Beit Abdullah, both 24 years old and Issa Beit Abdullah, 30 years old.

The defendants were arrested in raids on their families’ homes by security personnel on October 16, 2015. Ahmad, Majed, and Abdullah were transferred to Masjid Suleiman Prison following an intensive interrogation.

All eight were later transferred to Shush headquarters of the Intelligence Directorate, infamous for torturing detainees. They were kept there incommunicado for the next two years and forbidden any visitation or communication with their families.

After the trial, the defendants were taken to the Intelligence Directoratecentertion center in Ahwaz City.

Ghassem Abdullah was the second Ahwazi sentenced to death for alleged participation in Ahwazi opposition groups. Image provided by family.

Defendants’ families call for human rights intervention

Families of the two defendants sentenced to death called for all human rights organizations to amplify their children's plight to the international community. They stated:

“our sons are innocent and the allegations against them by the Iranian judicial and security authorities are false.”

Karim Dahimi, an Ahwazi rights activist based in London who has been in touch with the families told Global Voices:

“The families of two political prisoners, Abdullah Karamullah Ka’ab and Ghassem Abdullah, were informed that they were sentenced to death by the First Branch of the Revolutionary Court for waging war against God, conspiring with foreign countries against the government, joining banned groups and spreading anti-regime propaganda.”

“Two years later, the men were taken to Isfahan province, where they were allowed a brief call to their families to inform them of their new detention location. Their families sought to visit them there, but were denied any visitation rights. Recent information revealed that they were kept in solitary confinement cells run by the intelligence service branch in Isfahan.”

Iran's recent crackdown on the Ahwazi and other minority groups

In recent years, the government has stepped up its already brutal persecution of Ahwazi Arabs and other minorities in Iran, such as Kurds, Baluchis, Turks, and Turkmen.

Despite repeated calls by many international human rights organizations (including the United Nations, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch) to end its inhumane policies, the judiciary has actively accelerated and intensified its torture and executions of dissident and minority groups.

The government also buildsPersian-only settlements in the Ahwaz region, renamed Khuzestan in 1936, and forbids indigenous Arab peoples from living there. Ahwazis are denied jobs at oil and gas refineries in the region, which provides 95% of Iran’s oil and gas resources.

Despite vast resources and wealth claimed by indigenous lands, the Ahwazis often live in severe poverty.

Jolovan Wham (person wearing red shirt) is joined by friends during a solidarity event. Photo from Facebook page of Lynn Lee.

On November 29, Singaporean activist Jolovan Wham was charged by the police for “organizing public assemblies without a permit under the Public Order Act, an offense of vandalism under the Vandalism Act, and for refusing to sign his statements under the Penal Code.”

Wham is an activist known for his campaigns promoting the rights of migrant workers, free speech in Singapore, and reform of the country’s laws on detention and death penalty.

Wham’s seven offences listed by the police are in connection several protest events: 1. July 14 candle lighting vigil in solidarity with the family of a person facing the death penalty 2. June 13 ‘silent protest’ inside a train about the arrest of “Marxist conspirators’ in 1987 and 3. November 26, 2016 indoor forum whose speaker included Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong speaking via Skype.

The police accused Wham of organizing these activities without securing the approval of authorities and described Wham as a ‘recalcitrant’:

Wham is recalcitrant and has repeatedly shown blatant disregard for the law, especially with regard to organizing or participating in illegal public assemblies.

Wham was briefly detained on November 29 but released after posting bail.

His case alarmed many activist groups which warned about the shrinking space for freedom of expression in Singapore.

An online petition signed by more than 3,900 people (as of this writing) urged the government to drop the charges against Wham:

The prosecution of Jolovan Wham has a chilling effect on free speech where the law is used as a tool of intimidation against peaceful and non-violent activists. These charges also violate his constitutional and universal rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

Another online petition addressed to the country’s prime minister highlighted the importance of Wham’s activism:

He is a constant reminder that we, as a first world country, should strive to attain the standard of human rights enjoyed by other first world countries.

We do not understand why the State is pursuing the seven charges against Jolovan Wham for events which were all peaceful and non-violent. He works for the good of our country, which we are told, aims to be inclusive and which respects diverse voices.

Community Action Network, another local NGO, appealed to the government to reconsider its policies restricting free speech:

The Singapore government has long used a range of public order offenses to manage public opinion. As a mature, advanced nation which exhibits the key forms of parliamentary democracy, the stifling of free speech has been widely condemned for its chilling effect on human rights.

The Singapore police should not proceed with charges against Wham. The government must reconsider its position on free speech and freedom of assembly. It is time for Singapore to recognize that peaceful protest is not a crime.

Some regulation of public assembly may be necessary to safeguard the public interest in safety and prevent disruption. Yet it may be timely to reconsider how restrictive these regulations should be. Events that do not threaten the safety and well-being of any person, damage any property or cause disruption to ordinary affairs should not be made difficult to organize, and it is doubtful whether society's interests are best served by making them liable to criminal prosecution.

MARUAH, another human rights group, insisted that Wham’s activism should not be treated by the police as a criminal act.

Mr Wham’s actions are merely public criticisms of the government’s stance on detention without trial, capital punishment and free speech. It is revealing that in the police press release announcing the arrest of Mr Wham, the police make a great deal of Mr Wham’s “recalcitrance” as if he were a child defying parental authority.

Wham’s supporters organized a solidarity event on December 10 in time for International Human Rights Day celebrations. Some of his friends also shared stories of how Wham inspired many people through his activism.

Wham also got the support of 52 Malaysian NGOs which signed a statement urging the Singapore government to withdraw the charges filed against him.

This ironic tweet featuring reflects the determination of Wham and his colleagues to question the legitimacy of being labeled ‘recalcitrant’:

“Wham is recalcitrant and has repeatedly shown blatant disregard for the law, especially with regard to organising or participating in illegal public assemblies,” the police said. pic.twitter.com/HdfB6hlais

Cats at a temple in Obama, Japan, perhaps thinking of pots. Photo by Nevin Thompson. Used with permission.

A blogger by the name of 写メんなよ (shamen-nayo) made a surprising discovery on November 7, the “Pot Day” (鍋の日, nabe no hi) in Japan.

“鍋の日”に見かけた「ねこ鍋」というパワーワード

Found the startling word “Cat-pot” on the “Pot Day”

Donabe (traditional Japanese earthenware pots) are such commonly used cookware in Japan that there is a special day for eating food in them. To celebrate this year's Day of Pots, many Japanese users had posted photos of hot pots and stew on Twitter. Among those photos, however, were also pictures of furry felines stuffed in pots of all shapes and sizes.

The blogger first came across cat-pots in a tweet by a college radio station:

The West Bank seen from Jerusalem, Israel on March 31, 2014. Photo by D. Myles Cullen. Public Domain. Defense Imagery Management Operations Center, US government work

United States (US) president Donald Trump's recent statement recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel surprised many across the world. While it was praised by Israeli President Netanyahu, some leaders from the Middle East region and other countries with Muslim-majority populations criticized Trump's decision for “violating the rights” of Palestinians.

Israel and Palestine both claim Jerusalem as their capital.

Indonesia, which has the world's largest Muslim population in a country, counted itself among dissenters deploring Trump's announcement, with President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) leading his people in expressing support for Palestine and condemning Trump's announcement.

Indonesia strongly condemns the United States’ unilateral acknowledgement of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Such move violates the Security Council resolution and UN General Assembly. I and the people of Indonesia are consistently supporting the people of Palestine in defending their freedom and rights.

Meanwhile, the US embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia's capital, clarified that Trump's statement affirmed support for both Israel and Palestine:

When President Donald Trump announced yesterday that the United States acknowledges Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and its center of government, President Trump also publicly affirmed that the United States supports the status quo at the Temple Mount or Haram al-Sharif. As stated by President Trump in his announcement, “Jerusalem is today and must remain a place where Jews pray at the Western Wall, where Christians walk the stations of the cross, and where Muslims worship at Al Aqsa Mosque.”

The President emphasized that the United States remains committed to reaching a lasting peace agreement between the Palestinian people and the Israelis; including support for a two-state solution, if agreed by both parties.

Indonesians protest Trump's Jerusalem declaration

Protests erupted in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta and nearby provinces in the aftermath of Trump's declaration to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Protesters burned US flags and an effigy of Trump in front of the US Embassy in Jakarta. A McDonald's branch was targeted by protesters in South Tangerang, a municipality adjacent to Jakarta, infamously known as the hometown of Islamic State Indonesian cell leader Bahrun Naim.

The evangelists care more about the Zionist regime and ignore the fate of the Palestinian Christians. For your information, the Patriarch and local church leaders in Jerusalem have written an open letter formally calling Trump to rescind his decision.

Sulaeman emphasized that defending the Palestinian people is in accordance with the Indonesian constitution (Undang-Undang Dasar 1945 or UUD '45).

UUD '45 mandated the Indonesian nation to actively take part in establishing world peace and eradicate colonialism. The swift and firm reaction from President Jokowi to reject and condemn Trump's move should be supported.

The Indonesian Twittersphere erupted with reactions:

Busy day for US ambassadors around the world. Indonesia has summoned ambassador to hear its condemnation of @realDonaldTrump Jerusalem statement.

On December 6, 2017, Jilin Daily published a full-page feature on nuclear weapons and how to protect oneself in case of a nuclear radiation. This led many, in particular, residents from northern China to ask if the newspaper report is an anticipation of a United States military action against North Korea's missile test.

Jilin province is located in north China near North Korea. Jilin Daily is affiliated with the local government of the province.

On November 29, North Korea launched a test on an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching all part of U.S. mainland. Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump warned to bring a “rain” of “fire and fury” on North Korea if the country’s leader Kim Jong Un continued to threaten U.S. security. China, in particular the northern part of China, would be affected by the “rain”.

Meanwhile, another leaked document from Jilin’s China mobile company indicated that the Jilin government has established five refugee sites in Changbai province, which shares 260 kilometers of border with North Korea.

Public discussion regarding potential warfare in North Korea was deleted quickly from social media platforms. Even party-affiliated Global Times had to withdraw its editorial upon publishing online (retrieved via Voices of America):

Currently, tension is mounting in the Korean Peninsula. North Korea has launched six nuclear tests and it is believed that the country is already equipped with a nuclear bomb. Moreover, its missile launching technology has reached a breakthrough this year and has successfully launched a missile that can reach all parts of the U.S. continent. The U.S has vowed that it would destroy North Korea economy and exercise military pressure. The risk of military conflict between the U.S and North Korea has escalated. Jilin shares border with North Korea, the whole page feature on nuclear radiation precaution is believed to be a reaction to the risk of warfare in the Korean peninsula.

Despite censorship, anxious posts about military conflicts keep popping up on popular Chinese social media platform Weibo. One Weibo user believes that the news feature published by Jilin Daily was approved by the central government:

This is not a joke. You all know that news censorship in China is very strict. Such kind of content has to be approved by senior officials before circulation. The leaders want to tell you something but can’t say that explicitly. Fellows in Dongbei (northern China), please observe the U.S consulate in Shenyang, if they retreat, run away.

Even though state-affiliated news outlets had tried to downplay the possibility of a war, many are still worried about radiation if military action was taken by the U.S. against North Korea's nuclear facilities:

核弹没升空炸了，东北也危险吧？

Even if the nuclear missile exploded in the sky, Dongbei area will still be endangered, right?

To prevent a North Korea nuclear missile attack, South Korea and Japan are equipped with Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), MIM-104 Patriot and Aircraft Carriers; Taiwan has Phased Array Warning System, Russia has Voronezh-M radar system as precaution. China is the only country which cannot clearly detect and counter North Korea missiles. Now with the threat of H-bomb, people in Jilin can only rely on newspapers which educate people with radiation common sense. Where have all the patriotic youths who protested against the THAAD by crushing Korean vehicles gone? Shouldn’t you be standing in the front line?

Since government with Chinese character [China government] has been supporting North Korea in secret, the country eventually got its nuclear weapon. Now it is threatening the security of all people in the world. Hence, the government with Chinese character should be responsible for all adverse effects of the North Korea nuclear crisis.

Lu Wei, the former gatekeeper of the Chinese Internet, attended attend a signing ceremony in Seattle, the United States, on Sept. 23, 2015. Chinese state owned Xinhua photo.

According to an announcement released on November 21, 2017 and posted on the website of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, Lu Wei, the former head of the Chinese Internet regulator, has been placed under corruption investigation.

Lu Wei was the director of the Administration of Cyberspace between April 2013 and June 2016. With his iron fist control over the Internet, he established his image as a hardline leader. In addition to regular censorship measures, including keyword filtering and content deletion, Lu Wei was in charge of coercing Internet celebrities into accepting a set of self-censorship guidelines in August 2013, as well as a crackdown on online rumors, the blocking of circumvention tools and an anti-online pornography campaign.

In 2014, under Lu Wei’s leadership, the Cyberspace Administration started organizing the annual Wuzhen World Internet Forum to promote the idea of Internet sovereignty to the world. He was placed under the international media spotlight when Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg gave him a warm welcome at the social networking site's Silicon valley office; a year later, in 2015, Lu Wei was later listed as one of the world’s 100 most influential people by Time magazine.

Following the investigation announcement, the Cyberspace Administration held an internal meeting denouncing the former leader. According to the Communist Party of China (CCP)-affiliated media outlet, Global Times, the meeting concluded that:

Lu Wei […] has severely deviated from the Party Principle, violated the Party’s Central authority’s disciplinary requirement on party members, officials and leaders, severely polluted the political ecology of the CAC, severely damaged the image of the CAC and its team, and severely jeopardised the party's efforts for the healthy development of the internet and he is a typical two-faced man.

There are, however, no further details on the corruptive act Lu Wei is said to have committed.

Chinese netizens have expressed no sympathy for Lu Wei's downfall. Peking university professor, Zhang Lifang, wrote two poems on Twitter to mark the incident:

弄權太過此能臣，雨露君恩降罪身。絞肉輪機親打造，投機碎了造機人。

This official enjoys playing with power, the emperor that once fed him now makes him a sinner. He creates his own mincing machine and the machine crushes its inventor.

秋官肅殺寂無聲，秋去冬來鼎釜烹。酷吏偏多今世報，群獠當戒魯先生。

People are silenced in front of the autumn executor. Autumn replaced by winter and the executor has ended up in the cooking pot. So many cruel officials have seen their own retribution, the beasts should take a lesson from [the fate of] Mr. Lu.

Fang zhouzi, a famous blogger was also happy to hear the news (via RFI):

So many people rush to tell me that ‘Internet Tsar Lu’ has been detained. Haha. While the saying that ‘the evil will be punished’ is a lie to honest people, with the ability to witness such instances once or twice, comes the feeling that this world is not as imperfect as it seems.

Yet, the news doesn’t imply that censorship measures would be loosened. @lucy8919 pointed out on Twitter:

Lu Wei from Cyberspace Administration is under investigation. So much cheering online. The scene reminds me of a line written by Du Fu: ‘Tears had wet my clothes when hearing the news about the recovery of the northern part of Ji County’ [The poem is about the end of a seven-year civil war during the Tang Dynasty]. So many netizens whose user accounts were banned thought the news so soothing. Yet, nothing has changed. Lu Wei is gone, but the current of 404 [a code indicating the content is inaccessible because of a connection disruption] remains the same.

In fact, to use President Xi Jinping’s political lexicon, some netizens even anticipated that the ideological control over the Internet would be more stiff or “comprehensive”. The denunciation of Lu Wei represents a replacement of the technocratic approach by the ideological struggle approach when it comes to China Internet governance.

If we look at the Maoist comments regarding Lu's fall, online censorship will be geared up to serve an ideological battle. When Sima Nan, a famous Maoist political commentator, elaborated on the official criticism of Lu Wei as “a typical two-faced man”, he suggested that Lu had been protecting liberal celebrities, including Pan Shiyi and Ren Zhiqiang, and neglecting the ideological battle front:

My major criticism on this person is that there are so many online smears against our country’s founding leader Mao Zedong and his leadership collective, as well as agendas and speech acts that undermine China’s political system. Very few people have taken that seriously and when they handled the matter, they didn’t have tactics and did not take the responsibility seriously. However, if the online comments affected their own image, they cleaned the web thoroughly.

Indeed, Lu Wei had already been replaced by his deputy, Xu Lin, on June 29, 2016. Since then, Internet censorship measures have been extended to the crackdown on chat rooms by making administrators liable for the spread of unlawful messages, banning anonymous comments, shutting down entertainment sites that deviate from socialist core values, and restricting underage netizens’ access to online games.

If Lu Wei's censorship measures were viewed as selective, Chinese netizens will now find themselves facing a more “comprehensive” online content control system.

Screenshot of Sasha Fierce as she appeared in the Friends4LifeTT video, talking about some of the challenges transgender people face in Trinidad and Tobago.

On the night of December 5, 2017, a transgender woman was murdered at a park in Port of Spain, Trinidad, a country where the legal framework does not include any component through which a person can change his or her sexual identity. The victim's “legal” name was registered as Keon Patterson, but she was better known by the moniker Sasha Fierce (inspired by American singer Beyonce's stage persona), through which she was a staunch advocate of the local transgender community and an HIV spokesperson.

Fierce was featured in the Friends4LifeTT video, uploaded to YouTube in August 2017, which explored what it's like to be a transgender person in Trinidad and Tobago. Reports suggest that Fierce was shot and killed by two men, who police have since called in for questioning.

While Trinidad and Tobago is used to violent crime, Fierce's murder has raised the issue of the way in which lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people are treated in Caribbean societies. The twin island republic has not always shown tolerance for gender fluidity, as is the case with other island nations, such as Jamaica, which has routinely demonstrated a lack of understanding about the LGBTQ community.

Users of social media networks were vocal in their criticism. Lara Quentrall-Thomas lamented:

This wonderful human being, who cared so much for others, died for no reason .. other than perhaps, being different. Trinidad has reached a new low.

Comments on her public thread ranged from calling the country “third world” in attitude to criticising the government for “not putting laws in place to protect all citizens”, saying, it is “truly heartbreaking and unfortunate that members of the LGBT community cannot be themselves”.

Sodomy is listed in Trinidad and Tobago law as a criminal offence, but that has not translated into any pending cases for consensual homosexual sex. The law is therefore only one aspect of the issue; deeply embedded societal attitudes tend to have a much greater impact on the daily lives of LGBTQ people in the Caribbean space.

This despite attempts a few years ago to discuss how the media should report equitably and responsibly on issues affecting the LGBTQ community. Commenting on one 2015 television series which tracked the everyday life of a transgender woman living in Trinidad and Tobago, Facebook user Daniel Khairi commented:

This makes me anxious and the preview questions are awful. Trans people are always subject to ‘why’ and ‘what's in between your legs.’ I have no faith that [the television station] will do right by this woman.

Three things NOT to do when a transwoman is murdered: 1) Don't send the media dehumanising pictures of her dead body to publish. 2) Don't make her death about you. 3) Don't fundraise for your hotel room.

The reference is a jab at Trinidad-born, UK-based activist Jason Jones, who is challenging the island's sodomy laws as unconstitutional in a case that will be heard on January 30, 2018 in the High Court in Port of Spain. Jones, who was interviewed in an article about Fierce's murder for Gay Star News, is trying to raise money to offset his costs for mounting the legal challenge.

In another post, CAISO commended one local daily for “correcting its old story (which had called Sasha a ‘transgender man’), and changing the pronouns in it to she and her. The updated story also omits a speculation about sex work.”

The same newspaper, Trinidad and Tobago Newsday, carried a follow-up story which said that Fierce's friends “are afraid to mourn her death publicly” for fear of being targeted, but Facebook user Andre Bagoo was resolute:

Sasha Fierce is dead bt hear this: freedom is not. We will not be afraid. We will not cower in our homes. We will marry the night.

The Australian state of Victoria is the first in the country to have passed voluntary assisted dying [VAD] legislation. This historic decision by the Victorian parliament has been very controversial, with people divided over the question of euthanasia on ethical and/or religious grounds.

This is just part of the reason it has been a slow journey getting to this point. As far back as 1995, the country's Northern Territory had adopted euthanasia laws, but a year later the federal parliament, which has responsibility for Australian territories, overturned the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act. Recently, the Upper House of the New South Wales parliament rejected a similar bill by the narrowest of margins — 20 votes to 19.

A common feature of these parliamentary debates has been that the political parties have given their representatives a free or conscience vote on the bills before parliament.

The Victorian Bill

At the start of the parliamentary debate back in October 2017, Benjamin Silvester summarised the background to the Victorian bill — and the key people involved — in a piece he wrote for The Citizen, an online publication of the Centre for Advancing Journalism at the University of Melbourne:

The laws would allow terminally ill Victorians to access lethal medication within 10 days of asking to die, following a process which includes three voluntary requests and two independent medical assessments. They must be over the age of 18, of sound mind, expected to die within 12 months and suffering in a way that ‘cannot be relieved in a manner the person deems tolerable’. The patient must administer the lethal dose themselves, but a doctor could deliver it in cases where someone was physically unable to do it.

The timeframe was eventually amended, with access being reduced from 12 to six months’ life expectancy (with some exemptions). The Upper House Legislative Council sat for 28 consecutive hours before passing the bill, with amendments that included the altered timeframe. The vote was 22 to 18. One government minister tweeted a long series of animated GIFs and short video clips about the process:

The Lower House Legislative Assembly went on to vote 46 to 37 in favour of the amended bill.

Key players

Her mother having died from symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis, Victorian Minister of Health Jill Hennessy has been one of the driving forces behind the legislation. Attorney General Martin Pakula paid tribute to his colleague on Twitter:

Another influencer has been veteran television personality Andrew Denton, who helped to found the organisation Go Gentle. Denton explained why he was advocating change at the Progress 2017 conference in Melbourne in June 2017, alongside fellow campaigner Jenny Barnes:

Vigorous opposition has come from organisations such as Right to Life, as well as religious groups that were keen to highlight stories counterbalancing Jill Hennessy's personal experience of caring for her dying mother:

Palliative care and the future of VAD in Australia

One of the hot issues in the debate has been the role of palliative care. Some felt that this specialised medical care for the terminally ill was being forced by the “death culture” to take a back seat, while others maintained that palliative care was not capable of relieving suffering:

.@RobertClarkMP says that the #VAD law will leave 10,000 people to die in pain while catering to the approx 150 people that will access VAD. He also stated that Palliative Care is able to treat all pain. Which one is it? #Springst

The likelihood of VAD becoming law in other parts of the country is uncertain. There have been a number of unsuccessful attempts in recent years in other states to introduce comparable legislation, and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is going down a similar path to Victoria by establishing a multi-party parliamentary committee to look into end of life choices.

While any VAD laws that the ACT may pass could still be disallowed by the federal parliament, it seems that only one parliamentary member would be keen to do so: the former prime minister, Tony Abbott, is a conservative Catholic who campaigned vigorously against same sex marriage, and he has said that he hopes the Victorian laws will be overturned someday:

A future Victorian parliament should have the moral decency to repeal this euthanasia law. No one should be told that their lives are not worth living or that they’re a burden.1/2

This post was written by Alankrita Anand, and originally appeared on Video Volunteers, an award-winning international community media organization based in India. An edited version is published below as part of a partnership with Global Voices.

Sohrai and Khovar, the traditional art forms from the Indian state of Jharkhand, are ritualistic art forms practiced by women. In recent years the art form has received a lot of attention as the state art and culture department is commissioning tribal artists and experts to paint the walls of government buildings, railway stations, and airports with colorful murals. This is instilling a sense of identity in the tribal artists and bringing their confidence back.

Sohrai art form has been named after the namesake harvest festival that starts around Diwali. During harvest, the women of the house clean their houses and walls and paint murals of Sohrai arts. What is special about the ancient art form is that it is only created by women. Sohari depicts the crop cycle, and Khovar, or finger painting, depicts marriage and fertility and is traditionally made for weddings.

With her small pots of natural colors, extracted from different kinds of soils and rocks, well-known Sohrai artist Putli Devi makes deft strokes on the wall as Community Correspondent Basanti Soren talks to her about the art form.

In the video Putli Devi mentions:

What is special about the art form is that it is only made by women and passed on by women, and a handful of them at that. Most of them belong to the Kurmi community and live in Hazaribagh.

Putli Devi grew up in Chotanagpur, Hazaribagh and watched her mother paint murals with her fingers and learned the art form too.

I used to see wolves and wild cats run away with hens in the forest, so I started depicting them in my paintings.

The paintings are done using red, black, yellow and white colors and depictions of animals abound. Devi says:

I paint from memory, things I have seen growing up and things that I see around me.

But Putli and her co-artists were not always recognized for their work, neither did they do it commercially. However, Putli Devi is now thrilled at having showcased her work in countries like Australia and Germany.

One day, Bulu Imam came this way and really liked my paintings. I was reluctant to meet him but my sisters-in-law insisted. He encouraged me to paint on paper and took my paintings to a global audience

75-year old Bulu Imam is an environmentalist working on the preservation of indigenous art and culture in Jharkhand. He explains:

Indigenous peoples, the world over, have rights over the lands that they historically inhabit, but in India, there are limitations on these rights.

India has voted in favor of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) but does not recognize the term ‘indigenous peoples’ itself, making the declaration inapplicable to India.

On the ground, this translates to a violation of the rights of indigenous communities. Imam, for instance, points out that while Indian indigenous people or Adivasis are dependent on their land for their livelihood, they have no rights to the “crops under the land”. “I am talking about mining”, he says, referring to the rich mineral resources that the Chotanagpur plateau is home to.

The question of indigenous art and culture is strongly linked to identity, and rights. Imam says:

I found proof of Jharkhand’s adivasis’ indigeneity in their art, the caves in the region bear similar art from thousands of years ago. For indigenous communities to claim their rights, we have to establish that they have been living on the land historically.

Basanti, who also belongs to a tribal community, feels that it is important to preserve one’s art and culture.

The newer generation does not know much about its history, which is why it is important to promote local cultures. We must be aware of our traditions, it is a matter of identity.

Devidas Gaonkar, a correspondent who documents indigenous cultures in Goa, feels the same way about art, culture, and identity.

Sohrai art is now known as the state art of Jharkhand. It has come to receive patronage from both the state government and corporates like Tata Steel based out of the state. Railway stations in towns like Hazaribagh and Jamshedpur now greet travellers with Khovar and Sohrai murals that only adorned village homes until recently.

Has taking the art form from the villages to global and commercial spaces brought prosperity to its practitioners? Basanti says that there has definitely been an improvement in Devi’s financial situation but it’s not a lot and no one takes interest in learning the craft anymore. Imam, however, points out that the difference that it has brought in Devi’s life is a sense of identity and confidence. “It is priceless,” says Imam.

When, on November 21, 2017, dancehall deejay Desmond “Ninja Man” Ballentyne was found guilty of murder and shooting with intent, Jamaicans’ response was somewhat similar to that of the man himself: “Ah suh it guh, man.” (Translated from Patois: “That's the way things go, man.”)

The self-styled “Don Gorgon” — a name generally given to “community leaders” with the greatest firepower and influence, both literally and figuratively — seemed nonplussed. (The term applies to any community in which a person has standing, but is often used in the dancehall context.) Leaving court with his son and accomplice Denis Clayton, who were also found guilty of the 2009 murder of Ricardo Johnson (“Ricky Trooper”) in Kingston's Olympic Gardens, he reportedly added:

“Don't worry yourself, Jamaica, I'll be back,” says Ninja Man as he boards police vehicle to be taken from court to prison – @rmakyn photo pic.twitter.com/Q2xVV6dmAj

While much of the dancehall fraternity — at home and overseas — reacted with shock to the news, many Jamaicans, wearied by the relentlessly high murder rate on the island, seem to be hoping that the controversial artiste will not be back any time soon, suggesting that he had got what he deserved:

Fellow deejay Mr. Vegas observed that while Ballentyne is “one of the greatest on a musical level”, the kind of content he put out might have come back to haunt him. The artist was known for his controversial pro-gun lyrics.

Still, he had his supporters. Dancehall diva D'Angel posted on her Facebook page:

I Just visited with Ninja Man and I'm happy to share with his fans that he's doing great and holding on to faith he's in high spirit as well God is truly in control and he says he leaves everything in God hands… My prayers are with you my friend #stronger #Godadealwideverything

Ballentyne's case was hard fought, and not without drama. After seemingly endless delays (17 trial dates set and 23 mention dates in court) the judge denied yet another application for a postponement and ordered the trial to begin immediately.

However, mid-way through a witness’ testimony, Ballentyne complained suddenly of chest pains and was taken to hospital. The trial continued in his absence. It appeared that he had suffered a mild heart attack. The news caused panic, and rumours of his death circulated rapidly on social media, especially among dancehall fans in the diaspora:

#NinjaMan is not dead, despite rumors. His murder trial verdict is expected this week!

Then his fate was put to a seven-person jury. Radio journalist Abka Fitz-Henley tweeted:

UPDATE: the future of one dancehall music's finest lyrical sons, Desmond Ballentine o/c #NinjaMan, has been languishing in the hands of a 7 member jury for approximately 2 1/2 hours. He's accused of murder.

The wait was soon over, however. The jury returned the guilty verdict after approximately three and a half hours.

Ballentine does not enjoy the enormous popularity of another famous convicted murderer deejay, Vybz Kartel, who at 41 is 10 years younger and remains popular even though he is now behind bars.

However, like Kartel, Ballentine was known for his “bad man” image. With his sharp, violent lyrics delivered in a stuttering tone, he rose to fame during the height of dancehall's popularity in the 1980s. In particular, he was known for his flamboyant costumes and fierce musical “clashes” with other artists at the once annual Sting music festival (it took place each Boxing Day for about 30 years, but the event has now been discontinued), where he physically clashed with Vybz Kartel in 2003.

Jamaicans, however, will find humor in the darkest situations. One tweet suggested that Vybz Kartel had “filed for” Ballentine from prison (as in someone filing for an immigrant visa for a family member from the U.S.):

Ballentine is a strange, quirky, and at times enigmatic character, and his curious and eventful career, including several brushes with the law, has taken many twists and turns. This included a brief sojourn as a Christian, after a highly publicised baptism, around the time of the murder. One Jamaican, recollecting this phase, commented:

What is sad is that he was given so much publicity and promotion whilst he was out on bail, even appearing as a Judge on Magnum King & Queen TV show. This is why crime is so hard to curb, because murder and badness ah nuh nutten!

What is sad is that he was given so much publicity and promotion whilst he was out on bail, even appearing as a Judge on the Magnum King & Queen TV show. This is why crime is so hard to curb, because murder and badness is nothing!

Some Jamaicans observed that, in hindsight, they should have taken Ballentine's lyrics literally:

Some traditional media houses took the opportunity to discuss the troubling connections between dancehall and violence:

Dr. Dennis Howard, Musicologist and General Manager, RJR GLEANER Communications Group- Radio Services, joined #Althea on ‘Independent Talk.’ The connection between dancehall and the culture of violence was the main headline for the ‘Boardroom segment’. #Power#NinjaMan#Guiltypic.twitter.com/svu232zGiv

Ballentine's defence lawyer said that he would file an appeal, complaining that there were only seven jurors. According to the Supreme Court website, “all serious offences are tried by a Circuit (Supreme) Court judge sitting with a jury comprised of twelve (12) persons in murder or treason, and seven for other criminal offences.” The country's Jury Act has similar guidelines. The sentencing hearing will take place on December 15, 2017.

A court in central Vietnam sentenced video journalist Nguyen Van Hoa to seven years in prison on November 27, 2017, for reporting on environmental protests in central Vietnam as part of an ongoing crackdown on citizen journalism.

Only three days later, blogger Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, widely known as Me Nam or Mother Mushroom, saw a court uphold her 10-year prison sentence for Facebook posts about human rights and environmental issues involving the police and other state forces.

Hoa, 22, was accused of “conducting propaganda against the state” under Article 88 of Vietnam’s Penal Code. The charge was related to his reporting on protests that followed an environmental disaster which led to tonnes of dead fish washing up across Vietnam’s central coast in April 2016.

Hoa was the first person in Vietnam to use a flycam drone to broadcast live footage of protests outside the Formosa Ha Tinh Steel plant which was revealed to be the cause behind the toxic spill. His footage of more than 10,000 people outside the Formosa gates went viral across social media.

A security trainer and regular contributor to Radio Free Asia, Hoa was detained in January 2017 and initially charged with “abusing democratic rights to infringe upon the interests of the state”. The charges against him were changed in June without reason, according to his family.

Human rights and digital groups signed a statement calling on the Vietnamese government to release Hoa in time for the World Press Freedom Day in May. The joint statement said:

Repressing citizen journalists is not only a violation of human rights but also a major impediment to Vietnam’s aspirations to become a tech and innovation hub.

When local police originally arrested Hoa, they physically attacked him and confiscated his equipment while he was on assignment in November 2016, according to Radio Free Asia spokesman Rohit Mahajan.

His family informed Loa, an alternative news podcast that reports about Vietnam, that they were only told of the trial a day before the public trial.

(Editor's note: Loa, a partner of Global Voices, is a project of a political organization called Viet Tan that promotes democracy in Vietnam. The author of this post is also a Viet Tan organizer.)

In a deal with the Vietnamese government, Formosa agreed to pay 500 million US dollars, which many have criticised to be insignificant relative to the damage caused. Thousands of affected fishermen have continued to protest the unfair compensation despite authorities trying to stop the demonstrations.

Citizen journalists and bloggers who reported on the Formosa disaster have also faced lengthy sentences. One of them is blogger Mother Mushroom, who was arrested in October 2016 and charged with “conducting propaganda against the state”.

In June 2017, she was ordered to spend 10 years in prison for her writings, a sentence that was confirmed on November 30 in an appeals trial that lasted only a few hours.

One of her lawyers, Vo An Don, a prominent human rights lawyer, had his law license revoked by the Phu Yen Bar Association on November 26, four days before her trial. He was barred from representing her during the appeals trial.

Lawyer Vo An Don ̣(fourth from the right), with a group of people waiting outside the courtroom during Mother Mushroom’s appeal trial. Source: Facebook page of Vo An Don.

This decision is effective immediately, ends my dream of being a lawyer defending the poor and leaves many unjust cases open.

The two cases are part of the Vietnamese government’s wider crackdown on free expression. More than 25 activists have been arrested, issued arrest warrants or exiled since January 2017. The harsh prison terms handed down by the courts to activists like Hoa and Mother Mushroom are troubling signs for the state of human rights in Vietnam.